KYIV: Moscow said on Monday it had thwarted a major offensive against its forces in eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials dismissed the report and both sides said Kyiv’s military had made small gains elsewhere along front lines.
It was unclear whether the attacks represented the start of Ukraine’s long-heralded counteroffensive against Russia’s invasion, and Ukrainian officials made no mention of any broad, significant new campaign or sidestepped questions on the matter.
Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine had attacked on Sunday morning with six mechanised and two tank battalions in southern Donetsk, where Moscow has long suspected Ukraine would seek to drive a wedge through Russian-controlled territory.
“On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the South Donetsk direction,” the defence ministry said in a statement posted on Telegram at 1:30 a.m. Moscow time (2230 GMT).
“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defences in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” it said. “The enemy did not achieve its tasks, it had no success.”
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Reuters on Monday that Ukraine now had enough weapons for a counteroffensive but declined to comment when asked whether it had begun.
In its evening report, Ukraine’s General Staff made no mention of any large-scale offensive operation, or suggested any other deviation from the usual tempo or scope of fighting along front lines that have not changed significantly for months.
Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram that Ukraine was “shifting to offensive actions” along parts of the front line but dismissed suggestions this was part of a major operation.
Maliar said later on state TV that Ukrainian forces had made advances of 200-1,600 metres (660 feet to one mile) around two villages north of the long embattled eastern city of Bakhmut and 100-700 metres around villages to the west and south.
Russian Wagner group mercenaries captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed their positions there to regular Russian troops, but Kyiv has since been attacking Russian-held areas to the north and south of the city.
“The main focus now is on the Bakhmut sector,” said Maliar. “And as of now, this has resulted in certain successes including advances. We have taken control of certain heights.” –Agencies
